who are the greatest author of all time?

While I think your 'only educated people nee danswer' jab was uncalled for.... My top three: H P Lovecraft - the man defined the horror genre as we know it and had a way with words that leaves me breathless. Any author who was able to paint such clear pictures without ever using a clear description has a rare, rare talent. H P Lovecraft displayed all the tricks of the trade to their best advantage and never shrank back from anything. He was a brilliant man with brilliant and twisted ideas and a gift for turning them both into amazing stories. Terry Pratchett - The man is a genius. His satire is scathing and honest but remains entertaining and behind the line. He can take anything and parallel it beautifully, blending humor and allegory and unique, captivating characters. He sacrifices nothing in the name of getting his point across. And then it gets difficult to pick a third. Robert Jordan at least deserves honorable mention, though he'd get more credit if he stood up to his publishers and didn't allow them to extend his series. Tolkien deserves a mention as well, but he failed as a storyteller. He was an amazing writing and an amazing world builder, but his storytelling skills fell flat. I think my third would have to be J Michael Strazinski. Known predominantly for writing scriptwork, he has written short stories and graphic novels that are far above par. His writing is realistic, draws from everything and everywhere. He's not afraid to tackle anything, and he does so with grace.

This is a tough question, there have been many excellent writers that have spanned many centuries. My first pick would be Samuel Clemens/Mark Twain. His writings on the expansion of the United States in the 1800's was phenominal. "Tom Sawyer", his most famous work, is still beloved today. My second would be: Hans Christian Andersen, whose publishing credits started in 1822 and spanned the entire period until 1849. Thirdly, Ernest Hemingway. Nearly everything he wrote turned to gold. His words are vibrant and his style is one of pure genius. I could really go on, there are some many wonderful authors out there, post past and present. Great topic.

I think one of the best authors was F. Scott Fitzgerald, the one who wrote the Great Gatsby. But I only like that one book by him. I agree that Stephen King is a great author. He certainly is prolific.

hmmm... good post for only educated people !! i have gone through Stephen king only in these three and can count as one of my favourites. the others for me are Ayn Rand , mark twain and Thomas Hardy.i love reading classics so may be the choice to call them.